As Promised . . . At Long Last!

I have promised for some time to publish a paper that Linda wrote several years ago when she applied for a certificate program as a teacher of English as a Second Language. This paper was read today at the school where Linda taught when a bench was dedicated in her memory. It was a wonderful service, though tears were mingled with smiles as we remembered Linda's love for children, her love for teaching, and her love for all people. Her impact on teachers and parents equaled the influence she had on the students she loved so dearly. It was a great day, but I wanted to wait until after the dedication to share this paper with you.

So, with a great deal of love and pride, I present the words of dear Linda:

My Professional Goals

I grew up in a home where books, reading, and learning were highly valued. My mother was a teacher, and my father a minister, so books were everywhere, our schools and teachers were supported, and a night of “Scrabble” was considered as much fun as television. My father encouraged us to tell him words new to us from his sermons, to increase our vocabularies. I always wanted to be a teacher, and some of my earliest memories involve “playing school” with friends and younger siblings.

In college, I studied Elementary Education, but did not actually finish my studies and graduate until after raising my own three children to school age. Instilling that same love for books, reading, and learning into our children was a very high priority for both my husband and me. Besides parenting, my school experiences including volunteering, substituting, and serving as an instructional assistant for three years, until I finally became a teacher with my own classroom in 1996!

For six years I have taught first or second graders, and have enjoyed it so much. There is no thrill quite like teaching a child how to read, or watching children learn to love books, words, and just learning about the world in general. Unfortunately, my voice has not cooperated: if overused, such as projecting for a large classroom of children, it tires and strains easily. Last year, I took a break from the classroom to rest my voice, but was able to tutor students privately all through the year, so I did not totally stop teaching.

When I was approached about the opportunity to teach ESL students, it seemed just right for me. I have always felt drawn to my ESL students, and they have always had a special place in my heart. Not only will there be smaller groups of students, which will be much easier on my voice, but I will be able to be a true advocate for them, creating a safe, comfortable place for them to learn.

Even though this is a brand new field of study for me, it is actually just a different way for me to continue reaching my own professional goal-to instill a love of books, reading, and learning in children. Even though the methods may be different, and the group of children I will be serving may be different, my goal is still the same-just in a dimension and with a depth I have not yet experienced. I am very excited about taking this new step professionally!

Linda Talley